Running backs: How will Ealey and King divide carries, starts?
(Fourth in a summer series looking at Georgia’s football team by position.)
TODAY: RUNNING BACKS
- Returning starters: TB Caleb King, FB Shaun Chapas.
- Others to watch: Although King started the final five games last season, Washaun Ealey was Georgia’s leading rusher (717 yards on 125 carries to King’s 594 on 114). Fred Munzenmaier, like Chapas a senior, is a solid backup at fullback.
- Key change: Richard Samuel, who started the first six games last season at tailback but fell well behind Ealey and King by season’s end, has moved to defense (inside linebacker).
- Key fact: Despite King missing three games with injuries and Ealey missing four games before shedding his redshirt, the tandem combined for 1,311 yards on 239 carries last season –- an average of 5.4 yards per carry. About 25 percent of their combined yards (349) came in the victory at Georgia Tech.
- Key questions: How will Georgia distribute the carries between Ealey and King? And while last season demonstrated there are enough carries for both to thrive, which one will start?
- Recent developments: The question of a pecking order between King and Ealey wasn’t addressed on the post-spring depth chart because King, like other players who were injured at the end of spring ball, was not listed. King missed the final two weeks of spring with a strained knee. Ealey was listed as the No. 1 tailback on the post-spring depth chart, but Mark Richt said that in reality Ealey and King are co-No. 1’s. Richt said Ealey made much progress from his freshman season to this spring in terms of physical conditioning and understanding the offense, and Ealey was pleased with his improvement as a blocker. Richt and Mike Bobo also said Carlton Thomas made strides and can help at tailback.
- Outlook: The King-Ealey tandem, supported by an experienced offensive line, has Georgia feeling good about its running game. At fullback, Chapas and Munzenmaier are known for their run-blocking and (very) occasional forays with the ball (they scored two TDs apiece last season and Chapas had career-high five carries for 43 yards against Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl).
- Your turn: What say you about the running backs?
———-
Links to previous entries in this series:
Tomorrow: Quarterbacks.
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174 comments Add your comment
tony
June 17th, 2010
1:40 pm
Coach (P.Bull Terrier) might try to convince you that Willie Martinez was our best option to fix the defense. He might even try to convince you that Thomas Brown is Ga all time leading rusher and that Joe Cox had a better chance of beating Mountaineers in the 2006 SB. Sleep it off coach. It’s just that simple.
Sam Dog
June 17th, 2010
1:42 pm
Phil Steele says Georgia’s offense will average 225 rushing a game, and average 37 points a game. The offense is going to put up some points folks.
Wooten
June 17th, 2010
1:45 pm
Snap…….
…Wotten da ball carrier
He may go, he may go…
Touchdown Wooten!!!!
AltamahaDawg
June 17th, 2010
1:46 pm
Where is this information that King fumbles so much more than Ealey coming from? Not the reality.
CHDawg
June 17th, 2010
1:50 pm
Anything can happen, but just remember in ‘07 when the light came on at Vandy and in Jax. Electrifying performance by a few players can change the nature of the whole team, and there has never been a better example of that than ‘07 and its dramatic turn. I just think we have so many potentially electrifying players this year that we are in for a great season in 10. If the O line is great, I think we make a run at the SEC. If the D ends up being strong too, then 10 may be CMR’s first NC. If Murray gets hurt, and we lose four or five key players, then we are likely disappointed again. Finally, I really like Ealey, but he worries me with the shoving after the tackles. I’m happy he is tough and has pluck, but after what happened to the Oregon back, one punch and he could be gone for the season. He has to learn how to make his case to the ref and let him exact his revenge. Having said all of that, I’m more excited about 10 than I was about ‘08!
meh
June 17th, 2010
1:54 pm
give it about a 50/50 distribution. they’re both great. and with the verteran O-Line we got Ealy and King are gonna be running like crazy.
Anthony Dasher
June 17th, 2010
2:04 pm
Didn”t I write this a couple of days ago?? Weird…
MADMAN
June 17th, 2010
2:13 pm
Hey Tim, I am just curious but are you regurgitating all this information from ugasports.com because for the past week I will read the positional breakdown on ugasports, then come over to AJC and you will have posted the exact same position breakdown. Maybe you should at least try to go in a different order of positions so that we can read something new.
Rusty
June 17th, 2010
2:17 pm
FLORIDA’s RB’s that have a MASSIVE FUMBLING PROBLEM, not Georgia. That’s why Urban Meyer only called 4 plays for the RB’s in the SEC Championship.
All his RB’s that are back from last year, with have fumble targets on their back, people will rock them, and jar balls lose.
Meyer has ZERO confidence in his RB’s–4 carries in the SEC Championship for less than 20 yards?
Looking forward to watching Georgia dominate Florida again in the rushing game, like 2007.
CHDawg
June 17th, 2010
2:18 pm
Last comment on this one…it will be nice to see the numbers 3 & 4 at UGA tailback again. Let’s hope for the same result as ‘80.
Bill W.
June 17th, 2010
3:10 pm
@tony,
You have nothing but negatives to say on here. Maybe you should call up CMR and apply for a job…Sounds like you really know what you’re talking about. I bet you make $2MM a year in your profession having so much football knowledge.
CMR is a great man and coach. UGA is grateful to have someone like him at the helm. Would rather have a high grad rate or GPA for the football team than a bunch of flunkys and cheaters playing in a NC game. They will get there before CMR’s reign is complete. Have faith and stop worshipping your opinions. Even though I’m stating my opinion I could be dead wrong specifically for the reason I’ve never coached football like 99% of the folks on this blog.
Go Dawgs!
GATA!
"Home of Mediocrity"
June 17th, 2010
3:17 pm
Bill W, per your comment, “CMR is a great man and coach. UGA is grateful to have someone like him at the helm. Would rather have a high grad rate or GPA for the football team than a bunch of flunkys and cheaters playing in a NC game.”
8 years into CMR tenure as the Head Coach at Georgia, the Dawgs were dead last in football graduation rates, more Kool-Aid Bill?
BigDawg
June 17th, 2010
3:23 pm
Carlton Thomas is the mannnnnn…..He needs to strongly be in the mix. I bet if he was carry for carry with King He would absolutely gain more yds. he is that good!!! Come on Bo Bo throw off the opposing defensive coordinators and make it a three back rotation. rapid fire!
icedawg
June 17th, 2010
3:39 pm
I would say that they are both good backs but have not proven that they are really outstanding yet. We’ve had much better producers. King got a lot of hype out of the Atlanta media but at the college level has not lived up to it. Both demonstrated in the Tek and A & M games that they can get the job done. Hope they keep the mo going.
Delbert D.
June 17th, 2010
4:13 pm
“About 25 percent of their combined yards (349) came in the victory at Georgia Tech.”
Uh-oh. That means they averaged 89.9 yards in the other 12 games.
AltamahaDawg
June 17th, 2010
4:17 pm
That sounds about right. Uga was averaging less than 100 per game total on the ground well into the first half of the season.
Although to be fair these particulal guys didn’t play in a number of those.
Delbert D.
June 17th, 2010
4:22 pm
Somebody posted about Georgia’s “verteran” offensive line. I think maybe he meant “vertebrate.”
Urban Meyer
June 17th, 2010
4:27 pm
Speaking of RB’s, Florida just got a verbal from Hunter Joyer the #3 FB in the country. Kid is 5:11, roughly 250 pounds, runs a 4:7 forty and benches a documents 495lbs, WOW! Come live the dream Hunter!
http://hsflorida.scout.com/a.z?s=376&p=9&c=2&cid=966330&nid=4630221&fhn=1
Gary
June 17th, 2010
4:38 pm
The only problem Green had was receivers dropping the ball. I do remember being pretty upset with DJS for giving WV a pretty good lead in the Sugar Bowl all by himself. Still can’t believe we lost that game. DJS would scramble with the ball in one had in a panic. THat is called a fumble. Green could draw the defense offsides constantly with his count. Was the master of the fake handoff. He played very smart football. He had an excellent touch. Frankly he has become a pretty good weekend tennis player as well. Watched him play an Alta match about a year ago. Very nice guy and a class act. Represented the dawgs well. We will see how they do this year. If the line can make the holes and the running game keeps the defense off the field we should do pretty good.
BIGJAY
June 17th, 2010
4:42 pm
IT”S A GOOD THING THAT JARVIS JONES FINALLY CAME HOME TO PLAY FOR THE BELOVED DAWGS. HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT IN THE FIRST PLACE…….HERE’S A LITTLE ADVISE TO ALL THE 4 AND 5 STAR HIGHSCHOOL TALENT IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA= WHEN YOU PLAY FOOTBALL FOR AN S.E.C TEAM YOUR GOING TO BE A LEGEND IN THAT STATE, BUT WHEN U GRADUATE YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO COME BACK HOME TO LIVE IN ATLANTA. SO WHAT GOOD IS IT TO BE A LEGEND IN TENN, ALABAMA OR MISS. WHY NOT STAY AT HOME, HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO…….PLUS MOST OF THESE ROSTERS IN THE S.E.C ARE LITTERED WITH GEORGIA HIGHSCHOOL PLAYERS…IF ALL U GUYS STAY AT HOME YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT,,,YALL CAN KEEP THE DAWGS ON THE MAP…..JUST THINK ABOUT THE LAST 4 S.E.C NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS, THOSE TEAMS HAD LOTS OF STAR PLAYERS FROM GEORGIA……SO JARVIS I HOPE UR MAKING SURE YOUR CARVER COLUMBUS HIGHSCHOOL BUDDIES GET THE MESSAGE, THERES NOTHING GREATER THAN BEING A LEGEND IN YOUR HOME STATE AND THERE’S NO HONOR GREATER THAN BEING A GEORGIA BULLDOG!
Bulldog59
June 17th, 2010
5:05 pm
SickandTired, opinions are taken more seriously when you reference a player with the correct spelling of his name. It’s Ealey not Ealy.
Bottom line, regardless of the spelling, depth chart, rotation, etc., Ealey and King have set a goal for each of them to gain 1000 yards this season. My money says, barring injury, they do it.
B.P.
June 17th, 2010
5:07 pm
I say play the one that is not suspended. We run this state.
James
June 17th, 2010
5:32 pm
Shoot man, when you guys are done, pass that joint on over here.
James
June 17th, 2010
5:35 pm
Delbert D.:
Yeah that statistic is kind of glossed over. I understand the optimism,but the truth is, Georgia had a pretty bad running game last year, except against Tech and A&M (Can’t remember, thought they ran well in the bowl game–somebody back me up?).
It seems like it really does all go back to their O-Line. That set of positions seems to truly control the fate of the Dawgs. No wonder Richt uses it as an excuse so often.
Urban Meyer
June 17th, 2010
5:41 pm
James, you must of not got the memo. Georgia had the best rushing game in the country the last four games of the season, when the moon was 3/4 full, during lighting storms in Bulgaria and the stock market was above 10,000.
harold
June 17th, 2010
5:45 pm
AVERAGE LIKE THE TEAM AND THE COACH.4-4 LAST YEAR. 20-12 THE LAST FOUR. THOUGHT KING WAS THE NEXT HERSCHEL. OR IS IT THAT DREAM THING AGAIN. DAWG FANS CAN TALK THE TALK. THEY JUST CAN’T WALK THE WALK!
Urban Meyer
June 17th, 2010
5:47 pm
Harolds, taking off the gloves baby!
Tuck Fech
June 17th, 2010
6:05 pm
“F” Harold! GO DAWGS!
Ealey and King are the real deal just ask Tech!
Mark Richt boohoo
June 17th, 2010
6:16 pm
ahh all this hot weather my mutts and I can’t take it…..
college is forever
June 17th, 2010
6:22 pm
http://collegelunchboxes.com The running game will be a strength this year, and if Murray can manage the game and keep protect the ball this will be the first year of many big ones to come. Go Dawgs!!!
Delbert D.
June 17th, 2010
6:39 pm
Anyway, this year the OL is stacked; experienced, big and deep. Should grind South Carolina into the gravel field drainage system.
Buckhead Bulldog
June 17th, 2010
8:01 pm
I agree with you Delbert D. I think the Dogs will crush USC! The Razorbacks, too.
cantondawg
June 17th, 2010
8:38 pm
Tony,
You are an idiot. David Greene was the winningnest college football quarterback until last year and you think if we would have started DJ we would have more wins. What a dumbass.
Rising Star
June 17th, 2010
8:42 pm
*
Look out UGA, Georgia Tech’s Anthony Allen had an average of ………………………………9.7 yards per carry.
AltamahaDawg
June 17th, 2010
9:05 pm
How exactly do fans “walk the walk”?
Buckhead Bulldog
June 17th, 2010
9:23 pm
Come on Alt- harold is a playah….a playah in his mind and with himself!
FLA DAWG
June 17th, 2010
9:30 pm
We must have a solid running game and it looks like we’ve got a good shot at it.
But to keep the other team honest we have to be able to effectively pass.
Can a kid who hasn’t taken a college gameday snap step in and deliver?
Running is bread and butter but we’ve got to be able to complete key passes.
And that will be the key for the entire season in my opinion.
Pi$$onaDawg
June 17th, 2010
9:37 pm
EZ 2 split the carries! King will FUMBLE more and Ealy will get the ball.
toole
June 17th, 2010
9:59 pm
What about Ken Malcome? Is he going to be a FB?
Harmon Wages
June 17th, 2010
10:01 pm
What about Dontavious Jackson? I know he could be real good back for the Dawgs.
AltamahaDawg
June 17th, 2010
10:22 pm
Harold is a child.
Delbert D.
June 17th, 2010
10:32 pm
The “King fumbles” stuff relates to 2008, not 2009. That’s what I recall, I’ll have to check the actual stats.
AltamahaDawg
June 17th, 2010
10:36 pm
You’re worried about one of the best recruits at his position in the country because of inexperience, but convinced that a converted Qb with no idea what he’s doing can step right in and be one of our better WR?
I’m just joking man. Just cutting up.
You are right. I think we will all feel better when Murray gets a game under his belt. Folks love to point out that we thought the running game would help Cox and it didnt work out, doesnt mean that the premise wasnt true. It was true then, its true now. A solid running game will help the QB, freshman or senior. The chances of having a solid running game (and really, looking back, why should we have thought we had one going into last year?) are a lot better now.
Big D Dawg
June 17th, 2010
11:42 pm
Tony, Tony, Tony, some of you have been toking that thing toooo long. Aaron Murray didn’t play last year because of a shoulder injury. There was no way period he was going to play. Write that down, memorize it. On DJ. he was a good athlete however, Green was a far superior game QB than Shock. I love em both but Greenie was the man. Shock struggled in several games just to make the standard reads. The GT game in Athens comes to mind when Greenie was hurt and Shock could barely get the snap without dropping the ball. Greenie comes back in and saves the game. Greenie had the most wins of any QB in the history of college football until McCoy broke the record
pass the joint twice, you miss a turn
PowerDawg
June 18th, 2010
12:07 am
Ealey is and should be, the starter.
The longer he is in the game, the better he gets. Once he gets into a rhythm, he is a death knell for opposing defenses. He just gets stronger as the game progresses.
Give him 20+ carries per game and he’ll grind out 1300-1400 yards this season.
King should be a great back-up to keep Ealey’s legs fresh or serve as an extra blocker or reciever out of the backfield.
Make no mistake, this kid is the real deal.
tony
June 18th, 2010
12:29 am
cantondawg, relax kid. Since I own my on business I can’t be that dumb. Who cares if David Greene was the winningnest college qb. I will take Buck Belue stats and the 1980 championship over David Greene college record any day. I doubt you saw the 1980 national championship game because if you did you would appreciate a national championship more than you do stats and stop putting words in my mouth….. I never said DJ would have had more wins than Greene but since you mentioned it, he could have more wins than Greene. What I did say is that if DJ was a 4 year starter I believe the dawgs would have won at least 1 championship especially when we had Brian VanGordor as the DC.. If I’m an idiot for believing that then so be it. If I’m an idiot because I believe that Ealey is a better rb than King, then so be it. If I’m and idiot for believing that Aaron Murray was the best qb last season, then so be it. If I’m an idiot for saying Mr.Richt should have change DC 3 years ago, then so be it. I believe Aaron Murray will eventually win a national championship and the defense will be a huge upgrade under Todd Grantham leadership. If I’m an idiot for believing that, so be it young man.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
June 18th, 2010
12:59 am
Pi$$ – you make stupid look like genius….. you are dumber than a screen door in a submarine.
PHIL
June 18th, 2010
1:29 am
Every time I read a blog about UGA I come away amazed at the stupidity of our President Michael Adams and AD Damon Evans. Ok, so I didn’t have to read this to know how stupid Adams is. Anyway, in the last several years there have been openings for coaches in football and basketball. We all know Evans hired a search firm to help with the hiring of CMF and we all know the story about how CMR flubbed up the search for a D Coordinator, having to finally settle for the last one on the whole planet. All in the world they needed to do was look at a UGA blog on the AJC and there will be found a virtual cornucopia of individuals who are smarter, more creative and much better judges of athletic ability than any of the people that either ever have been or are currently employed by the University to those coach sports. If the bloggers are to be believed, most know EXACTLY how to win national championships in more than one sport, thereby saving the University hundreds of thousands of dollars. And it’s right here under their noses!!!!!!!
Tony, I would like to take a guess at what business your in. My first guess is that you own a pressure washing conglomerate??? hmmmmm…… next guess is that you are a carpet cleaning mogul? Am I right???
But anyway, Tony, I happened to be at the 1980 National Championship game so although cantondawg may not have, I did indeed see it. And I will make you a deal. If a team EVER as long as I live, wins a national championship with the stats Buck had, I will pay you to come pressure wash my drive way or clean my carpet which ever applies. How’s that?
PHIL
June 18th, 2010
1:31 am
sorry, YOU’RE in.
the birdman
June 18th, 2010
1:46 am
Give Jim Harbaugh at Stanford an RB talent like an Ealey, who gets over 5 1/2 yards a carry, and Harbaugh would be getting that guy 30 touches a game, or 350 runs a year for 1800 yards. Gerhart got 360 runs for 1800 yards.
Richt? Nope. Richt has a habit of wasting talent.